Leadership Matters

Staying calm, of sound mind, and gracious can be effortless when times are good, needed resources are available, and things are going as planned. Conversely, maintaining composure, focus and sound leadership can be difficult when things are not going as planned, resources are scarce, and mounting challenges produce daunting pressure. During this episode, Dr. G and guests Rudolph A. Johnson, III, President and CEO of the Neighborhood House Association in San Diego, CA and Larry Gardner, Retired Deputy City Manager with the City of San Diego will discuss how to maintain effectiveness and lead under pressure.

People who achieve truly great things in life know that true accountability makes all the difference between success and failure—on both a personal and organizational level. Sam Silverstein, author of No More Excuses, will join Dr. G and Valerie Wright, President and CEO of Wright Ideas Unlimited to discuss the five accountabilities outlined in No More Excuses. These principles and traits are common currency of successful individuals and businesses and are based on interviews with over fifty successful masters of the art of accountability—including academics, Fortune 500 CEOs, and Hall of Fame athletes.

“Leadership is a Relationship.” (Kouzes and Posner, 2009) A leader’s ability to build effective relationships is a critical quality that assists in influencing and building teams. The success and quality of work relationships will negatively or positively impact every aspect of an organization from customer satisfaction to goal accomplishment to product quality. When people are able to work well together, they can create a powerful, motivated work environment where everyone want to come to work, feel empowered to achieve excellence and work in concert to solve problems. Effective working relationships form the cornerstone of success for the individual and organization. On today’s show, we will explore what an effective relationship is; why they are important; and how to build and sustain them so that win-wins are always possible.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This 4th episode in the series highlights the practice of “enabling others to act.” According to Kouzes and Posner, “To get extraordinary things done in organizations, leaders have to enable others to act.” Confident leaders enable others by fostering collaboration and strengthening others, are sensitive to the needs of others, listen, ask questions, develop others, provide support, and ask for help. Leaders enlist others and encourage others to take charge of their own work. Today, Dr. G and guests will discuss how leaders enable others by fostering collaboration and building trust; facilitating relationships; sharing information and resources; delegating effectively, listening, asking questions and taking advice; and building team strength.

A decade of new research is now showing that success actually comes from happiness rather than causing it. On today’s show, Dr. G and guest Valerie Sheppard, a former corporate executive and Sherpa of Happiness, continues the discussion on the eight principles/suggestions for creating a more happy work environment and offers additional tips for ushering in the new year with happiness in the workplace for improved performance, results, and success.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This episode will focus on the practice of “challenging the process.” Kouzes (2007) states, “Leaders search for opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve.” Leaders change the future by innovating new products and services, developing groundbreaking technology, implementing new methods for engaging the citizenry and they do it by “challenging the process.” Dr. G and guests Gerald McFadden, President/CEO of Volunteers of America Southwest CA and Undraye Howard, Vice President of Intellectual Capital at the Alliance for Children and Families in Milwaukee, WI will discuss how to effectively challenge the status quo while minding relationships and maintaining critical stakeholder alignment. Ways to uncover possibilities, foster innovation, leverage different ideas, create opportunities and inspire solu

A decade of new research is now showing that success actually comes from happiness rather than causing it. On today’s show, Dr. G and guest Valerie Sheppard, a former corporate executive and Sherpa of Happiness, will discuss tips for ushering in the new year with happiness in the workplace for improved performance, results, and success.

Happy Holidays! We want to thank our listeners, staff and Board members for a fabulous 2011 and wish all a prosperous 2012 filled with love, joy, peace, and happiness! Tune in Wednesday, December 28 at 2 PM/PST for an hour of our favorite relaxing holiday music selections. Also, during this hour we invite our listeners to call in with questions, 2011 Reflections and/or your 2012 New Year’s Resolutions! Call in or send messages to: 866-472-5790 or Dr.G@InnoVisions.org

More and more coaching is being used to support people in moving from where they are to where they want to be. Supervisors at all levels, human resources professionals, organization development practitioners, and others in the life helping arena are called upon to coach others to greater effectiveness. In this episode Dr. G and guests Jordan Goldrich, Partner-Leadership and Organization Development with CUSTOMatrix, Inc. and Samuel Bresler, Full-time Faculty in Business Administration and Human Resources at Brandman University-Chapman University System will discuss when coaching could be an effective tool to use; criteria for establishing an effective coaching relationship; how to recognize and what to do when a person is not coachable; tools and techniques to enhance coaching effectiveness; and other resources available for honing coaching skills.

More and more coaching is being used to support people in moving from where they are to where they want to be. Supervisors at all levels, human resources professionals, organization development practitioners, and others in the life helping arena are called upon to coach others to greater effectiveness. In this episode Dr. G and guests Jordan Goldrich, Partner-Leadership and Organization Development with CUSTOMatrix, Inc. and Samuel Bresler, Full-time Faculty in Business Administration and Human Resources at Brandman University-Chapman University System will discuss when coaching could be an effective tool to use; criteria for establishing an effective coaching relationship; how to recognize and what to do when a person is not coachable; tools and techniques to enhance coaching effectiveness; and other resources available for honing coaching skills.

The current climate requires special leadership skills to address today’s challenges. Leaders must embrace uncertainty and develop new approaches to navigate in nowadays’ turbulent conditions. The hardest kinds of challenges are adaptive ones requiring shifts in values, attitudes, and habits of behavior. Under these kinds of demands, organizations and leaders need the capacity to adapt their approach, models, thinking and leadership. On today’s show, Dr. Gee and guests, Lloyd Bullard, M.Ed, CEO of LB International Consulting, LLC and Ruben Barrales, President & CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce will discuss key elements of adaptive leadership for successful organizational transformation and how leaders can begin to shift themselves and the organization to an adaptive mindset and state.

We received numerous comments and additional questions from last week’s show on Managing Performance: Achieving Results so we have decided to continue the conversation this week. Thank you to all that provided feedback and request for further dialogue. Performance management focuses on an organization’s performance—results delivered in service, product, and/or revenue. Performance management is often viewed as one of the most difficult parts of a manager’s responsibilities—and in essence it is the most important. During this week’s episode, Dr. G and guests, Pastor Cedric Manley Airport Operations Manager with FedEx in San Diego, CA and Undraye Howard Vice President of Intellectual Capital at the Alliance for Children and Families will discuss techniques for having difficult performance-related conversations, ways to shape performance without being punitive; how to deal with employees that are not responsive to coaching; and more. Tune in to Leadership Matters with Dr. G: Informing Leaders. Inspiring Solution

According to Peter Drucker, “The ultimate test of management is performance!—achieving results.” In today’s highly dynamic business environment, managing performance is about developing employees’ capacity to perform and adapt to a variety of situations, and ensure the goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. Performance management focuses on an organization’s performance—results delivered in service, product, and/or revenue. Performance management is often viewed as one of the most difficult parts of a manager’s responsibilities—and in essence it is the most important. During this episode, Dr. G and guests will share proven practice and suggestions collected from Talk! Leadership Forum participants and will discuss elements of a performance management system, barriers to effective performance, how to overcome barriers/challenges and work with employees to improve performance and achieve results.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This 4th episode in the series highlights the practice of enabling others to act. According to Kouzes and Posner, To get extraordinary things done in organizations, leaders have to enable others to act. Today, Dr. G and guests Dr. Eugene Bailey, Retired Navel Commander & Executive Coach with the Center for Creative Leadership; Charles Brewer, Director of Public Works with Red Oaks, TX; and Damon Carmon, Acting Vice President of Children, Youth & Family Services with Neighborhood House Association, San Diego, CA will discuss how leaders enable others by fostering collaboration and building trust; facilitating relationships; sharing information and resources; delegating effectively, listening, asking questions and taking advice; and building team strength.

According to Kouzes and Posner, renowned authors of The Leadership Challenge, inspiring leaders envision exciting and ennobling possibilities and enlist others in a common vision. Successful leaders are effective at presenting their vision as an inspirational, positive picture of the future with a clear path for getting there. Visionary leaders are able to consistently deliver strong messages of their vision in a manner that attracts others to join with them in making it happen. They take their organization and others to a new level, impacting the greater community through their vision and aligned actions. During this episode, Dr. G and guests will discuss the qualities and abilities of true visionary leaders; how vision informs strategy and a leader’s ability to maximize human potential and effectively position an organization for opportunities; and how to become the kind of leader whose vision excites and enlist others to want to work earnestly to achieve shared aspirations.

No matter what or how big or small an issue, challenge or goal is the answer lies within. The clearer one is about their own identity, needs, values and vision the more effective one can be as they use their self as a tool to organize and lead their own life and to influence and bring positive outcomes to fruition for themselves and others. In this upcoming episode, Dr. G and guests, Stedman Graham, author of New York Times Bestseller: You Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps to Success, and Larry Gardner, Retired Deputy City Manager from the City of San Diego, will discuss leading from the core: what it is, why it has been so important in their own careers, and how one can go about doing it to positively shape their life and make what they envision happen.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This 5th episode in the series highlights the practice of encourage the heart. According to Kouzes and Posner, compassionate supervision has become a critical part of successful management. To get extraordinary things done in organizations, leaders have to show they genuinely appreciate others’ efforts and link appreciation, rewards and recognition to outcomes and standards of excellence. Today, Dr. G and guests will discuss the importance of and how leaders can encourage the heart to foster courage, hope, ownership, and achievement of extraordinary results.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This 4th episode in the series highlights the practice of “enabling others to act.” According to Kouzes and Posner, “To get extraordinary things done in organizations, leaders have to enable others to act.” Confident leaders enable others by fostering collaboration and strengthening others, are sensitive to the needs of others, listen, ask questions, develop others, provide support, and ask for help. Leaders enlist others and encourage others to take charge of their own work. Today, Dr. G and guests will discuss how leaders enable others by fostering collaboration and building trust; facilitating relationships; sharing information and resources; delegating effectively, listening, asking questions and taking advice; and building team strength.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This episode will focus on the practice of “Modeling the Way.” Kouzes (2007) states, “Leaders create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow.” Leading by example means modeling the behaviors you want your team to have—walk the talk. People admire leaders who believe strongly in something, and who stand up for those beliefs. Today Dr. G and guests Evonda Thomas, Director, Evanston Health Department, Evanston, Illinois and Mindy Mulligan, Head Start Area Director, Neighborhood House Association, San Diego, California will discuss how leaders foster powerful examples in organizations; find their voice and clarify values; identify and build consensus around shared values and build and maintain credibility in modeling the way.

During the month of September, we will continue to explore the 5 practices of exemplary leadership put forth by Kouzes and Posner in one of the best-selling leadership books of all time: The Leadership Challenge. This episode will focus on the practice of “challenging the process.” Kouzes (2007) states, “Leaders search for opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve.” Leaders change the future by innovating new products and services, developing groundbreaking technology, implementing new methods for engaging the citizenry and they do it by “challenging the process.” Dr. G and guests Gerald McFadden, President/CEO of Volunteers of America Southwest CA and Undraye Howard, Vice President of Intellectual Capital at the Alliance for Children and Families in Milwaukee, WI will discuss how to effectively challenge the status quo while minding relationships and maintaining critical stakeholder alignment.